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Effect of Zinc Deficiency on Protein Synthesis in Brain and Liver of Suckling Rats¹

Department of Microbiology, Ireland Research Laboratory, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201, and United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Human Nutrition Laboratory, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201

The effects of zinc deficiency on the postnatal development of the brain and liver of suckling rats were investigated. One of the manifestations of zinc deprivation was anorexia in the dams which resulted in inanition of their pups. Pair feeding of young lactating dams resulted in growth failure of their pups almost to the extent of that which occurred in the pups of lactating zinc deficient dams. The effects of inanition on organ size, DNA content and rates of protein biosynthesis were as severe as those of zinc deficiency in some tissues (liver), but other tissues were relatively protected (cerebrum). After 10 days, the rate of biosynthesis of all cytoplasmic, nucleoplasmic and chromosomal nonhistone proteins from the liver, cerebrum and cerebellum of the zinc deficient rats was 30% to 50% lower than the ad libitum controls. The effects of zinc deficiency appeared to be even more pronounced on the rate of histone biosynthesis in these organs. In contrast to the liver, the rates of histone biosynthesis in cerebrum of pair-fed rats were significantly higher than those of the zinc deficient rats and were similar to those of ad libitum controls. Zinc deprivation and to a lesser extent inanition had adverse effects on cellular replication and protein biosynthesis in brain during postnatal development.

KEY WORDS: • zinc deficiency • inanition • histones • protein biosynthesis • brain • liver

¹ Supported in part by the United States Department of Agriculture Cooperative Agreement 12-14-100-11, 178 (61), Amend. 1 and by Grant 5R01-NS-09725-05 from National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke.

² Reprint requests should be sent to Dr. John Duerre, Department of Microbiology, Ireland Research Laboratory, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58201.

Manuscript received 12 October 1976.

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